By the numbers: Obama's second-term inauguration

WASHINGTON—Before President Barack Obama can march from his swearing-in at the U.S. Capitol to the White House, D.C. transportation crews will have to remove the traffic light at 4th Street and Pennsylvania Ave.

Then they'll do it again—on 6th Street, 7th, 9th and every other intersection along the parade's 1.5-mile route—26 traffic poles in all, uprooted the night before.

It's one of thousands of steps that city workers, police officers, volunteers, chefs and hotel staffers are taking to get the city ready for Inauguration Day.

About 600,000 to 800,000 people are expected on the National Mall on Jan. 21 when Obama is sworn in for his second term, D.C. officials say—far fewer than the 1.8 million who huddled in the cold in 2009 to see the nation's first black president say the oath.

Still, it's a massive undertaking that will bring Washington to a virtual standstill.

A look at the numbers:

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250,000—Free tickets issued by congressional offices to attend the ceremony in front of the Capitol.

28,189—Seats set up for spectators along the parade route.

1,600—Seats on the platform where Obama will deliver his address, reserved for elected officials, Supreme Court justices, ambassadors, military leaders and family members of the president and vice president.

2—Number of official inaugural balls, down from the 10 that Obama had in 2009.

40,000—Number of ball-goers expected to attend.

550—Number of staffers working for the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

300 to 400—Congressional staffers who will volunteer on Inauguration Day.

50,000—Low-end estimate of total volunteers who signed up to help with festivities.

147—Horses participating in the inaugural parade.

1,000—Gallons of chili being prepared for the week by Ben's Chili Bowl, the landmark diner Obama visited before his inauguration in January 2009.

10,000—Eggs that chefs at the Willard InterContinental Hotel will use during the week. Enjoy a little cheddar in your omelet? The hotel will have 600 pounds of cheese on hand.

6,900—Rolls of toilet paper stocked by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. Restrooms at the museum, on the National Mall, will be open Inauguration Day and during a 2,000-guest reception the night before.

1,100—Portable toilets to be available along the parade route.

23—Miles of electric cable needed to support the sound system, media activities and other needs.

4—Miles of snow fencing to be erected outside the Capitol.

17—Hours of consecutive rush-hour subway service that Metrorail will provide, starting at 4 a.m.

200—Police officers from around the country who will be sworn in and temporarily deputized as Metro Transit Police officers to supplement an all-hands-on-deck security effort.

1—Medical examiner who will be riding Metro with police officers. A fatal incident can bring the transit system to a halt, and grim as it may seem, Metro wants to make sure any incidents are resolved quickly.

800,000—Transit brochures the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority will print for the occasion, to be distributed at stations, hotels, airports, museums and other locations.

100,000—Commemorative inaugural SmarTrip cards ordered by Metro. Most will be sold in the week leading up to the inauguration.

10—Minimum number of large screens that will broadcast the swearing-in on the National Mall

99—Pieces in the United States Air Force Band marching in the parade.

300—U.S. flags that D.C. transportation crews will hang, along with 150 District of Columbia flags.

$100,000—cost of Ritz-Carlton's "Access Washington package," which includes two first-class plane tickets, a diamond and ruby pin, a designer dress and tuxedo, a parade-watching party and a four-night stay in a luxury suite.

4—Times Obama will have been sworn in, matching the record set by Franklin Roosevelt. A wording mix-up by Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts in 2009 led to a do-over. This time, Obama will take the oath privately on Sunday, Jan. 20, the day set out in the Constitution. Since inaugurations are traditionally not held on Sundays, he'll have his public swearing-in on Monday.

$4.2 million—Dollars the architect of the Capitol has allotted to spruce up the grounds, including platform construction, bleachers and barricades.

To be decided—Total cost of inauguration activities. In 2009, Obama raised $53 million in private money for his inauguration.